Using methadone to break free from heroin abuse is relatively painless, and will allow you to function normally in society. But methadone is in itself a very addictive substance, and a lot addicts who try to get off methadone remain users many years into treatment.

Most people don’t spend a lot of time thinking about drug or alcohol rehabs…until they need one. Once you make a decision to enter into treatment, the sooner you can get help the better. Unfortunately, since you need to make a decision about rehab quickly, you can easily get overwhelmed by the difficulties of finding an appropriate facility, and even in finding accurate and transparent information.

Sober Living Environments

An often overlooked form of residential care is the sober living residence. Most often used as a transitional phase after detox or after rehab, some people find benefit and sobriety through a direct entry into such a facility. Sober living environments are almost universally very low cost, and a majority do not ask for any money upon admission, although within a reasonable length of time you are expected to find employment and contribute a small monthly rental payment.

These facilities work therapeutically through peer support, very structured rules of living and of conduct, enforced sobriety and a temptation free area of residence and through compulsory and intensive participation in AA or another form of 12 steps programming.

These homes generally only ask that you abide by the rules, attend meetings and don’t use drugs or drink; and you can basically stay as long as you'd like. There are many thousands of sober living homes throughout the nation, and unlike low cost rehabs, these often do not maintain a waiting list.

If Suboxone works as well, is easier to get off of and you can take home a month's supply at a time - why would anyone still choose methadone???

Watch a gripping autobiographical documentary through years of heroin addiction, by Scottish filmaker David Scott.

Thinking about getting off of pain pills, and thinking about detox and withdrawal and all of that - can be pretty scary stuff. Watching others take the journey - watching what they do and how they do it, can help to make it a little less frightening.